Gift for Togi-Tan

Gift from ???

Title of the gift: Forever Love.

Pairing(s): MarkGyeom – minor Markson

How many words: 2373

Rating: PG13

Warnings: none

Note to my giftee: Hello, and Merry Christmas! I hope you have splendid days and of course a very happy New Year as well. Please enjoy reading!

Forever Love

Psychologists say that a crush only lasts for 4 months, and that’s how Yugyeom knew he was in love.
It wasn’t particularly love at first sight, because when Yugyeom first met Mark, they didn’t talk unless one of the other members were around. It grew slowly as they became closer. While nervous glances changed into lingering touches and lingering touches changed into tight hugs, loud laughter and genuine smiles.
It wasn’t how Yugyeom had expected falling in love would feel like. It hurt a lot more than romantic movies and stories ever could describe. At first, Yugyeom didn’t mind Mark being close to the other members, especially Jackson, but as his love grew stronger, so did his jealousy, and every smile the two older boys shared with each other, was a stab in the heart for GOT7’s maknae. Maybe it was because he was so inexperienced that he couldn’t quite pinpoint if what was going on between the Markson couple was just a friendship, or something more.
The last thing Yugyeom expected, was him ending up in Mark’s bed, both facing the ceiling while they lay with their arms hooked together. That’s where Yugyeom made his first confession out of many failed attempts.
“You’re so pretty, hyung.” Is what he started with, a pink blush creeping up his cheeks slowly as he tilted his head to look at Mark, who didn’t look away from the ceiling and just wrinkled his nose at the compliment.
“Yug, should I start writing down how many times in one week you call me pretty?” Mark added with a soft chuckle, making the red shade on Yugyeom’s cheeks even darker and the tall maknae sat up in protest, trying his best not to pout.
“I’m just saying! Don’t you like compliments?” he said, and Mark hummed in response (something he seemed to do often) before sitting up as well, rubbing at his own cheeks.
“I mean… I do like them. It’s just- I never know how to respond to them, really.”
And Yugyeom’s lips formed into an “O” shape, eyebrows raising slightly before picking at a loose thread on Mark’s blanket, pursing his lips.
“Then, should I give you more compliments so you get used to them and know how to react? I don’t just think you’re pretty, you know. I think you’re really beautiful. On the outside and inside. You’re really precious.” Yugyeom said like it was the most normal thing to say to one of your friends. Mark responded by blinking his eyes numerous times and opening and closing his mouth like a fish, making Yugyeom laugh when he finally looked up at the older one, who pressed his lips together and nodded his head, mumbling with a soft huff. “You’re cheesy, Kim Yugyeom.”
“I just like you.” Yugyeom shrugged his shoulders again, trying not to sound like he just confessed for his hyung, who once again stared at the younger with wide eyes, the colour of his cheeks now resembling Yugyeom’s.
“I- I mean- I just like being with you and talking to you! I like you in that way. That’s okay, right?” Yugyeom added quickly at seeing Mark’s reaction to his half-assed confession.
Mark just laughed and nodded. “Of course that’s okay. I like you too.”
The elder of the two smiled widely, but Yugyeom’s smile faltered as he lay down again, arms crossed behind his head nonchalantly and once again staring up at the ceiling.
He knew exactly what Mark’s “I like you” meant, but Mark had no idea what Yugyeom’s meant.

Before Yugyeom could attempt another confession, it seemed like someone had already beat him to it. Mark was getting way too close with Jackson for Yugyeom’s liking, and kind of leaving Yugyeom in the dust. It made Yugyeom wonder if maybe he’d done something wrong, or if he just wasn’t good enough. Maybe Jackson was more likeable, and maybe that was why Mark was around Jackson more often. So when Yugyeom saw the opportunity to talk to Mark, of course he wanted to take it, following the older to his room. But once there, he was at a complete loss for words. What the hell was he going to say? “Hey Mark, sorry for bothering you, but I don’t like how close you are with Jackson, and quite frankly, I want you to talk to me more often because I’m very jealous and insecure and need a constant reminder that you don’t hate me. Oh, also, I’m in love with you.”? That wasn’t going to work. So he sat in silence until Mark asked him what’s wrong.
“What am I missing?” is what Yugyeom answered, and Mark looked at him with a confused look on his face.
“What do you mean?” he asked. Yugyeom sighed and let himself fall back onto Mark’s bed.
“I mean… What do other people have that I don’t have? Why doesn’t anyone ever like me?”
“Yah, you shouldn’t feel like that! There are people who like you. All of us like you.”
“I don’t mean that kind of liking, hyung. I mean… Whenever I like someone they always choose someone else over me. Like everyone who I liked in high school, and when I had a crush on you-know-who and now you’re choosing Jackson ov- I mean- like, I thought we were close friends and now you’re ignoring me for Jackson. I don’t mean I have a crush on you…” Yugyeom mumbled, his cheeks going as red as Mark’s sweater was and all Yugyeom wanted to do was hide his face into it and melt away.
“I’m not ignoring you for Jackson, though. You’re the one who hasn’t said a word to me all week long.”
And when Yugyeom started thinking, he found that Mark was quite right about that. He hadn’t approached Mark like he usually did. He had distanced himself ever since he accidentally confessed, and now it happened again, and Yugyeom didn’t know what to do anymore. Would he ever even be able to face Mark again? Maybe Mark should just go with Jackson, like Yugyeom thought he wanted so badly.
“But Yug, I’m sorry you felt like I was ignoring you. And about that other thing, there will be someone who will like you exactly for who you are. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but one day.”
“Then what does Jackson have that I don’t have?”
Yugyeom didn’t mean to say it, it just kind of left his mouth before he realised, and when he did realise, he slapped his hands over his face and waited for Mark’s answer, who answered with the exact sentence Yugyeom was most afraid to hear.
“Yug, are you starting to have a crush on me? You don’t have anything Jackson doesn’t have.”
Yugyeom chose not to answer Mark’s first question, and just talked over it instead.
“So what do you like about Jackson?” Yugyeom asked instead.
“I… don’t know how to answer that. Why are you asking these things?
“I don’t know. I’m sorry. I’m just curious why you like Jackson so much.”
“Okay… Yugyeom, what’s going on? Why are you acting like this?”
“I don’t know…” is all that Yugyeom could say.
Mark sent Yugyeom away after a long silence and told him to come back when he was feeling better, or when he at least knew what to say. So with a soft “I’ll speak to you tomorrow,” Yugyeom left the room and went back to his shared one with BamBam.
He spent the night thinking about what he was going to tell Mark, and whether he should tell Jackson and the others too.

When Yugyeom woke up the next morning, he figured – partly thanks to BamBam – that he should ask Jackson whether or not Markson was becoming a thing.
“Why should I tell you when you’re acting so cold towards me?” is what Jackson asked him, and it left Yugyeom feeling guilty and with even more thoughts than before. And after confining in Jaebum, because he was after all the leader, and he’d surely have a solution to all of this, he went back to Mark’s room to apologise once again.
“Hyung?” he started as always, pulling his feet up onto Mark’s bed. “I’m really sorry for being so mean to you. I didn’t mean to constantly react like I did. I didn’t even realise I was being like this… It just kind of… I just did…”
Yugyeom looked up at Mark, who was leaning against the wall next to the door, obviously trying to avoid sitting close to Yugyeom, but looking at him intently, a hint of sadness in his eyes as he mumbled: “It’s okay, Yug. I still want to know what’s wrong, though. But I won’t push you. Just tell me whenever you’re ready to.”
And all Yugyeom could think was “how can I tell him that he is what’s wrong?”
“I need to tell you…” Yugyeom mumbled softly, holding onto his own hands in an attempt to keep them from shaking too much. “Mark-hyung… I’m just wondering- are you seeing Jackson-hyung? Like… Are you two dating?”
The younger of the two was confused as to why Mark would be laughing, but when he looked up at the older, he saw crinkles at the corners of his eyes and a wide smile on Mark’s face, the complete opposite of Yugyeom’s.
“Ah, Gyeommie, you’re really so cute.” Mark said through soft laughs, finally pushing himself away from the wall and taking place next to Yugyeom, ruffling the maknae’s hair in a gentle manner. “I’m not seeing Jackson. Why would you think that?”
“I just… You guys seemed so close all of a sudden. I felt a bit left out…”
Mark just nodded. They stayed silent for a while until Yugyeom let out a dramatic sigh, making Mark laugh once again at how much the younger of the two seemed to be overreacting.
“Just tell me what’s going on, Yug. I won’t judge you, whatever it is.”
So Yugyeom did, because he feared it might be his only chance. What if Mark started liking Jackson anyway because of how close they already were? Yugyeom had to take his chance before someone else took it.
“Hyung… I’ve been walking around with this feeling in my chest for months now, and it feels like I can’t breathe. It’s crushing me. I… really like you. Like… like-like.”
Mark had to hold back a laugh again, avoiding the younger’s face, who was looking everywhere except for Mark. Instead, they both focussed themselves on looking at Yugyeom’s trembling hands.
“I, um- you deserve to know. I really have a crush on you, I think. I can’t keep it a secret anymore. Honestly, hyung, it feels so weird in my chest. Nothing will change, right? Because I know you don’t feel about me like how I feel about you, but please don’t use it against me or anything. I still want to be your friend without it being weird. Please just stay my friend.” Yugyeom blurted it all out, and Mark wondered if Yugyeom even had had the time to breathe while speaking before reaching for Yugyeom’s shaking hands and holding them in his own, scooting a little bit closer to the maknae.
“As long as I can stay by your side, everything is fine for me…” Yugyeom whispered, his cheeks colouring red in embarrassment, and even redder when Mark answered simply: “I already know you have a crush on me. It wasn’t hard to tell, Gyeom.”
And all Yugyeom could do was be embarrassed and groan and tilt his head back in frustration because he went through all this trouble for nothing. Mark already knew. He didn’t even have to tell him. Mark really let him go through all this embarrassment when he knew what was going on.
So he slapped Mark’s arm, who laughed again and once more took Yugyeom’s hands in his own, holding onto them a bit tighter this time, just so the maknae couldn’t hit him again.
“So was that just a confession, or are you going to ask me a question?” Mark said after a few minutes of silence, doing nothing but blushing and holding onto Yugyeom’s hands.
“Ehm…” is all that left Yugyeom’s lips, and Mark figured he had tortured Yugyeom enough already the last few days, so when Yugyeom rested his tired head on Mark’s shoulder a while later, Mark took the initiative to press a kiss to the maknae’s head, smiling widely.
“I like you too, Yug. You know that, right?” Mark said softly, and Yugyeom shook his head.
“I really thought you liked Jackson-hyung…” Yugyeom couldn’t help the pout from forming on his lips, and suddenly sat up straight, turning to face Mark and slapping his hands down against Mark’s thighs.
“If I don’t take my chance now, someone else will steal you away from me, right?” said the maknae, leaning closer to the older. “I’m too nervous-“ is what he ended with, trying to lean back, but he had barely even started moving before Mark pulled him back for a soft kiss on his lips, which left Yugyeom once again a blushing and stuttering mess.
“You’re not gonna pass out, right?” Mark joked, but Yugyeom really felt a bit light-headed as he shook his head. “Good. So if I ask you to be my boyfriend, what would you say? Or would you pass out?”
“I, uh… yes. I would say yes. Of course. You already know-“ said Yugyeom. His head was spinning by now and he couldn’t even feel Mark’s grip on his hands anymore.
“So you’re saying yes?”
“Yes. I mean- if it’s a question. I would say yes… So, yes. I’m saying yes. If it’s a question…”
Mark laughed once again, pulling Yugyeom closer and hugging him tight against his body, letting go of his hands to rub the maknae’s back in an attempt to calm his nerves.
After a while, Mark leaned up, pressed a kiss to Yugyeom’s cheek and whispered: “Of course it was a question. So I’m assuming you’re all mine now.”
And Yugyeom nodded his head, finally letting out a soft laugh as well before whispering back.
“I’m all yours, hyung.”